Russia's economic guru returned to work after a seven-week absence Monday to
tell President Vladimir Putin that industry has been humming along just fine
without him.

Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref, who was on sick leave
for three weeks followed by a month's vacation, told Putin that industrial
production in January through April grew 6.3 percent, its highest level in three
years.

"Average growth amounted to 6.3 percent in four months, January to
April, including 7.1 percent in April," Interfax quoted Gref as telling a
regular meeting of ministers in the Kremlin.

"This is a very high index. A higher result was achieved only in July
2002, when industrial growth reached 7.8 percent," he said, adding that
growth figures in the four-month period "are the top indices of the past
three years."

Gref said his main task now would be to implement the fundamentals of Putin's
state of the nation address, which was delivered Friday.

"We are working on a government plan to implement key provisions of the
address, as we regularly do," he said.

Putin called for key ministers to develop "fresh ideas" and not
just rely on what had already been implemented. He asked all ministers to come
up with "proposals on jointly implementing the main propositions of the
presidential address."

The meeting also touched on agriculture and energy projects, including
Sakhalin-2 and the development of the government's energy strategy through 2020,
which will be presented to the Cabinet on Thursday.

Gref went on sick leave March 21, a week after being castigated by Prime
Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, fueling rumors that one of the two would soon be
replaced.

After returning to work briefly April 14, he left on vacation and was
expected to return May 12, but he extended that date by a week.

His continued absence led to growing speculation that he was unlikely to
return.

The Economic Development and Trade Ministry's press office said the minister
"is looking good" and his health is now fine.